Query about possible impact of leap second on Debian Linux
Hello.
I have posted this message to the general Debian Users list, rather
than to only the LTS list, as, whilst my interest is limited to Debian
6 LTS, I believe that, if the issue involving any possible problem,
applies, then it would likely apply to all existing versions of Debian
Linux in use.
I have today seen the news report below, and wonder whether it needs
some kind of patch for Debian Linux, and, if so, whether it has
already been done, or is pending.
At
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-21/warning-issued-over-addition-of-leap-second-to-worlds-clocks/6485976
is
"
Leap second could cause problems for stock market, corporate regulator warns
AM By Jessica Kidd
Updated May 21, 2015 09:51:09
Australia's corporate regulator is warning the addition of a leap
second to 2015 could cause havoc for the stock market and IT
companies.
On June 30 at 11:59.59pm (GMT), an extra second will be added so the
Earth's rotational spin can catch up with the world's atomic clocks.
But while the idea of an extra second in the day might seem small,
computer security expert Dr Suelette Dreyfus warned the consequences
could be significant.
"The last time a leap second was added was on June 30, 2012 and that
did cause some technical problems for popular websites like Reddit and
Mozilla and LinkedIn," she said.
"I understand that Qantas computer systems went down for a period of
time partially because of it.
"So is it going to be the end of the world as we know it? Probably
not, but for companies that haven't actually spent some time thinking
through what it might mean for their systems, there is a risk that
things could go astray."
That risk has prompted the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission (ASIC) to issue a warning on its website.
It urged financial market stakeholders to review their IT systems in
order to address any unwelcome impacts.
"I think ASIC's warning is a really good idea because it's just
basically saying, 'Heads up everybody, you need to stop and think
about whether or not this leap second is going to cause problems for
the type of business that you're in'," Dr Dreyfus said.
"If you're building pools in people's backyards then it's probably not
going to be such an issue for your company.
"If you're doing complex trades second by second in currencies or
commodities, it might actually be an issue."
End of the leap second?
There have been 25 leap seconds since they were introduced in 1972,
but they could soon be lost to time.
The world's governments are due to vote on whether to abolish the leap
second at the World Radiocommunications Conference in Geneva in
November.
Dr Fred Watson, an astronomer with the Australian Astronomical
Observatory, said the Moon was the reason the Earth was slowing down.
"It all comes about because of the tides. The tides essentially use up
energy and it's the Earth's rotational energy that is lost," he said.
"That actually goes to the Moon. In fact, it's what is driving the
Moon to move very slowly further away from the Earth at about 3.5
centimetres per year."
Supporters of the leap second argue corrections are needed to maintain
accurate time for some branches of science.
Those opposed say it is not worth the energy to change the clocks
infrequently and that it will be beneficial for computing to have a
timescale that never needed changing.
Without leap seconds there would be a slip of two to three minutes by
2100 and about half an hour by 2700.
"
--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............
"So once you do know what the question actually is,
you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
A Trilogy In Four Parts",
written by Douglas Adams,
published by Pan Books, 1992
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